Posts Tagged ‘learning’
Re-thinking Testing
From the desk of Hope… The EOG’s are over, well almost over. For the students who did not pass the test, they have to do a week of remediation and then they have to re-test. Test, Test, Test, Bubble, Bubble, Bubble. Ugh! The students who pass the test with the first administration have three weeks…
Read MoreYou Are More Than a Score To Me
From the desk of Hope… Dear Garrison, This week you are taking your EOG test and I can tell you are anxious. A little anxiety can be good. It can “help you get your A game on”. Fortunately, from your past experiences with these types of tests, you do fine on them and I feel…
Read MoreFiction or Nonfiction? Why Do We Care?
From the desk of Amanda… Teacher: So we’ll be reading a text today called My Bones. Is this fiction or non-fiction? As a student, I love this question because I have a 50/50 shot even if I completely guess. As an adult, I’m thinking, “Boy, I’d love to take those odds to Vegas.” Student 1: …
Read MoreDazed and Confused
From the desk of Amanda… I got an email yesterday… It was from a teacher. It was a question. The question was about a lesson idea. I am SO excited. I love it when we can be smarter together. It made me think, “I bet other people have this same question.” So I decided…
Read MoreJerome
From the desk of Karen… “When I think back to our anchor classroom and others like it, it’s this same kind of spirit that permeates the very air. Children seem to breathe in, “I/We can do this” and breathe out, “Here’s how.” They see themselves and each other as kids with purpose; they see themselves…
Read MoreCommon Core Standards and Implications For Our Gifted Students: More Rigor? Keep it Coming!
From the desk of Michelle… By now we’ve all heard about this new little movement called the Common Core Standards. According to the Council of Chief State School Officers, The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and…
Read MoreGuided Piano
From the Desk of Melissa… What if we taught piano lessons like we do reading? “Alright, we are ready for our lesson today. To begin I am going to show you the notes in our song and play them. You are going to tell me what they are.” “Now you are going to see these…
Read MoreTeaching to the Test: Just Say No
From the Desk of Hope… According to many people, teaching to the test is unavoidable and those who opt not to succumb to the pressure will reap harsh consequences under tough accountability systems. I was at a school this week in which a principal told her staff that if she saw test preparation in the…
Read MoreAsk and You Shall Receive
From the desk of Michelle… Today I am sitting in my favorite bakery eating cake, sipping coffee, and watching my daughter across from me filling cups with water to see which weighs more. After a few minutes she jumps up from her make shift science lab to read a book that’s nearby. Occasionally she will…
Read MoreA Baby Only Wears a Sweater When . . .
From the desk of Karen…This true story is one I live by and I offer it to you for reflection. A darling little boy was born into this world. His mother was thrilled. There were problems, of course. In the first 10 days, the baby would not stop crying. Despite all her efforts, the baby…
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